Don't be a Mavis

The other day a good friend of mine told me about a conversation he had with a new girl he was going out with. I'll keep my friend anonymous...but for fun let's call him Earl. They hadn't really discussed politics, but one afternoon the conversation naturally veered that direction. Earl is a solid conservative in his 30's, and his prospective girlfriend (we'll call her Mavis) also in her 30's, identified herself as a liberal Democrat. For Earl, this wasn't necessarily a deal-breaker, but he wanted to know more about Mavis' opinions and viewpoints (utterly shocking for a small-minded, stupid conservative). After a short time, Earl discovered that excepting a couple of minor issues, Mavis' beliefs were actually very conservative. He brought the fact up that they had many important viewpoints in common, and she replied, "I've been voting for only Democrats since I was 18 - I mean, no matter what you say I'm not going to change now."

He asked, "Even if that means you're voting for people and principles you don't really believe in?"

Her reply: "This conversation is boring me."

Earl was flabbergasted, and decided maybe Mavis wasn't the girl for him. It wasn't her particular politics - people date and marry all the time who have extremely opposing viewpoints - it was her ignorance and apathetic attitude toward the well-being of our country, toward issues that affect us all, and our descendants, as well as the complete unwillingness to examine her beliefs and possibly have to admit that she could be batting for the wrong team.

Voting is not something to be taken lightly, even if you're not overly interested in politics. Maybe I'm asking too much, but it seems to me that every American who exercises their right to vote has the obligation to educate themselves on issues and ask themselves what they truly believe - if they're going to VOTE on them.  How ignorant is it to stroll into a voting booth and vote down the list for one political party simply out of habit?

For anyone who's been reading my ramblings for any amount of time, you likely know where I stand politically. Many of you don't agree with my stances, and that's ok with me - I have no desire to live in a world where we all think alike, as long as I'm treated with respect.  Not to mention, I strongly believe in that little right called Freedom of Speech.

I'm speaking up about this issue out of experience.  Once in my lifetime, I was a lot like Mavis.  I hated anything to do with politics, mostly because I found I didn't know enough about the issues, or the candidates, or even enough about myself to make a fair judgement. When anyone wanted to talk politics, I'd roll my eyes and change the subject, or worse - pretended to know what was going on while hoping nobody could see through my ignorance. Or, reprehensibly - agree just to fit in with my friends, classmates, and co-workers. At least I can say I wasn't an irresponsible voter - I just avoided voting. I was halfway through college before I really started to figure out where I stood - before I stopped calling myself a liberal because everyone around me called themselves one, and really started to question some of the things my leftist professors and artsy classmates spouted as irrefutable fact, and begrudgingly started paying attention to the news. Slowly I started to develop my own set of ideals and principles and to see where they fit into the political spectrum. Then I was encouraged by one of my roommates to read the book, "Atlas Shrugged", by Ayn Rand, which really made me think.
.

Unless you want to invite constant ridicule and risk getting on the bad side of a professor, you just don't strut around the art department of a large college wearing your conservative beliefs on your sleeve, I kept my ideas to myself while listening to liberal students loudly proclaiming their beliefs, often rudely insulting my religion and political thoughts as if everyone in the room shared the same ideals. Every so often I'd join in the fray, calmly asking questions and pointing out facts, and it never failed - I was told over and over that my thoughts "weren't valid" or were just plain "stupid." I'm often surprised at how the names fly so easily from people who claim to be all about inclusion, empathy, and understanding. Since that time, now that the country is more politically divided than ever and I've become much more outspoken and involved, I've been called everything in the book - from just plain idiotic, irrationally idealistic, naive, racist, to just downright hateful - all without knowing me or my character.

We never had a debate team in high school, so I'm not sure of the specific debate rules.  But I'm fairly positive that proper debate techniques do not include calling the other team offensive names.

The other day I took the Nolan Test, a political test which based on answers will place the test taker's results on a 4-part chart:

My results were far upper, barely right of center in the libertarian triangle-thing area. The results surprised me a bit, but not terribly. Lately I've been leaning a bit more toward the belief that the government just needs to butt out of our private lives, though I would've guessed not to be so far out of Camp Conservative. I'm not rushing out and changing my political affiliation based on a short internet test, but regardless of the outcome the test questions are worth mulling over.

http://www.nolanchart.com/survey.php

I encourage anyone even mildly interested to take this test, even if you're sure you know where you stand - it's a good way to get started. Read a bit about the test, how it's made, etc. And, if you disagree with the results, or the test itself - maybe you think it's biased, but do a little digging and find out why.

I would much rather have an informed political conversation with hard leftist statist progressive who knows what and why they believe they do rather than someone professing to be a Republican or Democrat, yet who has made no attempt at learning about politics and only votes eternally one way only because their parents and friends voted that way.  Don't throw yourself into a blanket political party simply because of your stance on one or two issues - that's what I like to call "baby-out-with-the-bathwater" approach to politics.  Like another friend of mine, Tony, said:  "It's funny how ONE freakin' social issue will make some people throw LIFE in the toilet over common sense."

Don't be a Mavis. Put out the effort - be true to yourself, be informed, and be honest.